Gerbera plant named ‘Flocanoes’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Gerbera  plant named ‘Flocanoes’, characterized by its compact, broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; dense and bushy appearance; numerous inflorescences with orange and yellow-colored ray florets; upright and strong scapes; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Gerbera hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘FLOCANOES’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gerbera plant, botanically known as Gerbera hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Flocanoes’.

The new Gerbera plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact potted Gerbera plants with numerous attractive inflorescences and good garden performance.

The new Gerbera plant originated from a cross-pollination made during the spring of 2010 in De Kwakel, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Gerbera hybrida identified as code number FL 12, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Gerbera hybrida identified as code number FL 63, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Gerbera plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands during the summer of 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Gerbera plant by cuttings and by tissue culture in a controlled environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands since the summer of 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Gerbera plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Gerbera have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Flocanoes’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Flocanoes’ as a new and distinct Gerbera plant:

-   -   1. Compact, broadly upright and uniformly mounding plant habit.     -   2. Dense and bushy appearance.     -   3. Numerous inflorescences with orange and yellow-colored ray         florets.     -   4. Upright and strong scapes.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera have larger leaves than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera have larger inflorescences than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Gerbera and the female parent selection         differ in ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera have smaller leaves than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera have smaller inflorescences than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Gerbera and the male parent selection         differ in ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Gerbera can be compared to plants of the Gerbera hybrida ‘Redwood’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,755. Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of ‘Redwood’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera have smaller leaves than plants of         ‘Redwood’.     -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera have smaller inflorescences than         plants of ‘Redwood’.     -   3. Plants of the new Gerbera have smaller ray florets than         plants of ‘Redwood’.     -   4. Plants of the new Gerbera and ‘Redwood’ differ in ray floret         color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Gerbera plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Gerbera plant.

The main photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Flocanoes’ grown in a container.

The smaller photograph is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Flocanoes’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the autumn and winter in 19-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Kwakel, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Gerbera production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 20° C. and night temperatures averaged 18° C. Plants were six months old when the photographs were taken and 30 weeks old when the description was taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Gerbera hybrida ‘Flocanoes’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Gerbera             hybrida identified as code number FL 12, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Gerbera             hybrida identified as code number FL 63, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings and by tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, by cuttings, summer and             winter.—About 3.5 weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, by tissue culture, summer and             winter.—About 2.5 to 3 weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, by cuttings, summer             and winter.—About 3.5 weeks at temperatures about 20° C. to             26° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, by tissue culture,             summer and winter.—About five to six weeks at temperatures             about 20° C. to 26° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous perennials that are typically grown             as container or garden plants; compact and uniformly             mounding plant habit, broadly upright and roughly globular             in shape; numerous leaves arranged in basal rosettes and             outwardly arching; dense and bushy habit; inflorescences             held above the foliar plane on erect and strong basal             scapes; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 25.5             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of inflorescences.—About             52.2 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 63.5 cm. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 34 cm.         -   Width.—About 13.4 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly obovate; runcinate.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Acuminate.         -   Margin.—Coarsely and irregularly angulate; sinuses             divergent; undulate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Sparsely pubescent along main vein;             slightly bullate.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Densely tomentose.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Between 139A and 147A;             venation, close to 144A to 144B. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 144B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 8.4 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 144B;             towards the base, tinged with close to 182B. Color, lower             surface: Close to 144B; towards the base, tinged with close             to 182C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Composite inflorescence form with             oblanceolate-shaped ray florets; solitary inflorescences             borne on upright and strong scapes above the foliar plane;             ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 16 weeks             after planting; under garden conditions in The Netherlands,             plants flower from early spring to late summer; plants can             be flowered year-round in the greenhouse.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Depending on the temperature,             inflorescences last about two to four weeks on the plant;             inflorescences not persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with             about nine open and developing inflorescences per plant at             one time.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 1.7 cm. Diameter: About             3.8 cm. Shape: Flattened globular. Color: Close to 137D;             immature ray florets, close to N144C; immature disc florets,             close to between N186C and 203A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 10 cm. Depth (height):             About 3.5 cm. Diameter of disc: About 3.9 cm. Receptacle             height: About 5 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 6 mm.             Receptacle color: Close to 155B.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 200 per             inflorescence; 80 arranged in outer three whorls and 120             arranged in the inner four whorls. Orientation: About 60°             from vertical. Length, outer ray florets: About 4.5 cm.             Length, inner ray florets: About 2.5 cm. Width, outer ray             florets: About 1.1 cm. Width, inner ray florets: About 4 mm.             Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; velvety.             Texture, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; slightly velvety;             slightly longitudinally ridged. Color, inner and outer ray             florets: When opening, upper surface: Towards the apex,             about 70% of the ray floret, close to 40A; towards the base,             about 30% of the ray floret, close to 9A. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 1A. Fully opened, upper surface:             Towards the apex, about 60% of the ray floret, close to 33B;             towards the base, about 40% of the ray floret, close to 9A;             color does not fade with development. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 8A; color does not fade with development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 150 massed at             center of receptacle. Length: About 1.7 cm. Width: About             3.5 mm. Shape: Tubular. Apex: Acute; upper 20%, free. Base:             Lower 80%, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, prior to opening: Apex:             Close to 35B. Mid-section: Close to 11C. Base: Close to             145C. Color, when opening: Apex: Close to 40A. Mid-section:             Close to 9A. Base: Close to 145C. Color, fully opened: Apex:             Close to 33B. Mid-section: Close to 9A. Base: Close to 145C.         -   Pappus.—Quantity of hairs per floret: About 50. Length:             About 6 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Texture: Soft. Color:             Close to N79A.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity and arrangement: About 80 per             inflorescence arranged in about three whorls. Length: About             1.5 cm. Width (at base): About 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate.             Apex: Narrowly acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Densely tomentose. Color, upper surface: Close to             143B. Color, lower surface: Close to 143A to 143B.         -   Scapes.—Length: About 42.4 cm. Diameter: Distally and             proximally, about 6 mm; mid-section, about 7 mm. Angle:             About 10° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Densely             tomentose. Color: Close to 144A; distally, close to 147B;             proximally, close to 180A to 180B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on disc florets             only): Quantity per floret: Five. Filament length: About             7 mm. Filament color: Close to 11D. Anther shape:             Lanceolate. Anther length: About 4 mm. Anther color: Close             to 153D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 15A.             Gynoecium (present only on ray florets): Quantity per             floret: One. Pistil length: About 1.2 cm. Stigma shape:             Cleft. Stigma color: Close to 8A. Style length: About             1.15 cm. Style color: Close to 11C to 11D. Ovary color:             Close to 145D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Gerbera. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Gerbera plants has not been observed on plants of the new Gerbera     grown under commercial production conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Gerbera have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate high temperatures about     35° C. and to be cold hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 8. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Gerbera plant named ‘Flocanoes’ as illustrated and described. 